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Castor Parish Council > Documents > Minutes > Minutes 9th May 2024

Minutes 9th May 2024

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PRESENT: Cllr. Neil Boyce (Chairman), Cllr. Richard Anker, (arrived part way through meeting) Cllr. William Baxter, Cllr. Steve Davies, Cllr. Gary Elliott, Cllr. Fiona Rowlands, Cllr. Dennis Surgeon, Cllr. Terry Young two members of the public & four from the Climate Change Group were also in attendance.

Minutes of Castor Parish Council Meeting

Held on Thursday 9th May 2024 at 7.00pm in the Cedar Centre

 

  • ELECTION OF CHAIRMAN of the Parish Council for the forthcoming year – There being only one nomination Cllr. Neil Boyce was elected unopposed.

Proposed Cllr. Baxter Seconded Cllr. Rowlands

 DECLARATION OF ACCEPTANCE OF OFFICE –The Declaration of Acceptance of Office was duly signed in the presence of the Clerk

 ELECTION OF VICE CHAIRMAN of the Parish Council for the forthcoming year– There being only one nomination Cllr. Fiona Rowlands was elected unopposed.

Proposed Cllr. Davies Seconded Cllr. Surgeon

 APOLOGIES – Shaw sent apologies as absent from Peterborough. Cllr. Anker had requested an extended leave of absence on compassionate grounds. We unanimously acceded to this request for Six months, to be reviewed in November 2024 if required.

 DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST –

 MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETINGS – We unanimously RESOLVED to approve the minutes of the previous meeting, held on Thursday 4th April 2024 -. These were duly signed by the chairman.

Proposed Cllr. Rowlands and seconded Cllr. Elliott

 Matters arising from the previous minutes. –

  • Public Forum – No Matters raised at this time by those members of the public present; members of the Climate action group asked to be allowed to speak on this item when under discussion by the parish council.

 Confirmation of PARISH COUNCIL STANDING ORDERS – We saw no reason to consider any change to our standing Orders at this time and RESOLVED to confirm them in their current form.

Proposed Cllr. William Baxter and seconded Cllr. Terry Young

  • Confirmation of FINANCIAL REGULATIONS and INTERNET BANKING PROCESS. The Clerk Informed us that there are New Model Financial regulations being recommended by our National Association. We RESOLVED to confirm them in their current form. To allow the Clerk to review the new regulations and, if appropriate, bring the revised document to a future meeting of the parish council for consideration and adoption.

Proposed Cllr.  Steve Davies and seconded Cllr. William Baxter

 re-affirmation of the CODE OF CONDUCT – We saw no reason to consider any change to our Code of Conduct at this time and RESOLVED to confirm the Code in its current form.

Proposed Cllr. Gary Elliott and seconded Cllr. Fiona Rowlands

  • REVIEW OF RESPONSIBILITIES AND REPRESENTATION ON, OR WORK WITH, EXTERNAL BODIES (we confirmed, or made, the following appointments

Land and tree matters: (William Baxter & Steve Davies)

Neighbourhood Planning: (David Shaw & Fiona Rowlands)

Parish Liaison: (Neil Boyce and the clerk) incl. PCC Scrutiny (Terry Young)

Allotments: (Terry Young, Richard Anker and Dennis Surgeon)

School Liaison & Children & Young People: (Gary Elliott and Steve Davies)

Village Hall: (Dennis Surgeon, Gary Elliott & Steve Davies)

Northey & Wright Charity: (William Baxter)

Police Matters: (Richard Anker)

Caspra: (Neil Boyce)

Council & church cohesion: (Neil Boyce and William Baxter)

Good neighbour scheme: (Neil Boyce and William Baxter)

Media/information/website (Fiona Rowlands and the clerk)

Internal Finance: (The clerk as Responsible Financial Officer)

Governance & HR (Neil Boyce and the clerk)

Rural Services Network (Steve Davies)

S106 Projects co-ordination (Fiona Rowlands)

Nature Recovery Plan (Fiona Rowlands)

We deferred consideration of representation on the Climate Change Action Group pending the outcome of a review of our commitment to the current policy.

 PLANNING and associated matters

 Peterborough Local Plan (LP) – In the anticipated absence of Cllr. D Shaw he had circulated a n email to councillors and the ongoing concerns over the current review being undertaken by the Local Planning Authority. No further developments are anticipated prior to the expected 2nd round consultation expected in the Autumn of this year.

  1. Joint Community Action Plan (JCAP) – We noted the current version of the plan and agreed that no actions were required of this parish council at this time.

 

  1. Castor Neighbourhood Planning (CNP) – WE noted that in response to our consultation on the proposed minor amendment that Nene Park Trust had responded and were opposed to the amendment, however, we also noted that the grounds for their objection were unrelated to the purpose of the proposed revision.

 

  1. Status report – The clerk had circulated with the agenda an up-to-date record of Planning applications. We noted the content of the report and in particular noted that the proposed tree works at 37 Peterborough Road & 25 Church Hill had both been permitted on 18th

 

  1. Planning applications –

 

  1. 24/00537/CTR – 1 The Limes – We will support the Tree Officers decision on the proposal to remove overhanging branches of a Silver Birch
  2. Chubby Castor – Cllr. Shaw in his written note referred to the erection of a canopy in rear yard and we deferred further consideration to the next meeting at which time we anticipated Cllr. Shaw would be present to advise us.

 

  1. Woodlands – Standing Item – at the time of our meeting the planning application by Nene Park Trust is still undecided and Cllr. Shaw & the chairman were awaiting the date of a meeting with NPT Trustee Gillian Beesley

 

  • LAND & ALLOTMENTS:

 

  1. Tweentowns – The chairman reported progress on the draft lease for consideration at a future meeting and undertook to email Elissa Hill and PECT before recommending signing the agreed version of the lease.

 

  1. Other Parish Councillors Observations on Land & Allotment related matters

 

  1. Thorolds Paddock – We noted the disgraceful state of this paddock and asked the Clerk to check the terms of the lease for remedies & to take steps to terminate this at the earliest possible time.
  2. Gunwade Ferry Contract – we noted the current status of this work

  

  • HIGHWAYS & Public Rights of Way

 

Councillors Observations –

 

  1. Peterborough Road Drainage – The Clerk reported the lack of progress on arranging the proposed meeting on site with Parish Councillors, the Head of Highways and a representative of Anglian Water. The Chairman undertook to take this up with James Collingridge at the City Council.

 

  1. Other Councillors observations – none at this time
  • Community Matters:

 Police Surgery Feedback – We were informed that the surgery started late because the officers were held up by making an arrest. Only five residents attended and made the officers aware of their concerns over the recent spate of Graffiti, speeding and Parking issues. We thanked Cllr. Baxter for his sterling attempts to remove the graffiti in the bus shelter, on notice boards and signs around the village.

  1. Joint Parish Liaison Group (JPLG) – We had before us the draft agenda for the next meeting scheduled for June 20th at the Cedar Centre and deferred further consideration of that agenda to the next meeting of this parish council on 13th June
  2. Langdyke Trust Nature Recovery Project – Rowlands reported that Mike Horne had in mind the possible creation of a pond. We require more detail on his proposals and these should be presented to the parish council at a future meeting for our consideration. We also noted the deteriorating state of the Coppice and asked that more attention be paid to that area to enable proposed open day events to be planned.

 

  1. Standing Stones
    • Information boards – Baxter reported on completion and delivery of these boards and the intention to erect these on the fence to this historic site.
    • Broken Fencing – we considered the quotations received to be excessive for the repairs to the broken and in parts rotten fence posts. Cllr. Baxter undertook to obtain prices from local contractors
  2. Climate Change Group –
    • Policy review – Members of the local Climate Change group were in attendance anticipating a debate on the merits of the parish council policy and Cllr. Young’s request that the parish council policy be revoked. Despite the presence of members of the group, Cllr. Young asked that his report and consideration of our Climate Change policy be deferred to the June meeting in anticipation that all parish councillors might be present.
    • “The great collaboration” – We noted that this initiative was aimed at sharing Climate Change best practice and is being piloted in East Anglia and promoted by SLCC. We agreed to defer consideration of joining this group pending the outcome of the previous item

.

  • Governance Matters

 

  1. Assets of Community Value – Cllr Shaw had circulated an amended draft form in respect of the Royal Oak Public House. We asked the Clerk to obtain the Land Registry Title documents and re-submit the application.

 

  • To receive official announcements – None at the time of our meeting

 

  • Future agenda items –
    • Annual Governance & Accountability return in respect of:
      1. The internal Audit report
      2. The Accounting Statement
    • Assets of Community Value – other site(s)

 

  • Date of Next meeting– scheduled to take place on 6th June to be deferred to 13th June 2024 at 7.00pm to enable participation in the commemoration of D-Day on 6th June and lighting of the Beacon.

 

 

Clerk & RFO 19th May, 2024

 

Meeting Closed at 9.35pm